Caspian_ (Point of view)
I got there an hour late. The frustration in my voice made the guard at the main gates a little more hostile than usual. It didn't help that he seemed a bit drunk.
"Name," he said, indifferent to my rush.
Not to mention, we had history.
"Caspian Flynn."
I found them, about three hundred agents assembled in the convention hall on the fourth floor. A familiar voice could be heard from the speakers in the hall. I sighed in relief.
'I almost missed his speech.'
"...Great potential lies in you all, and how I wish I could take part in unlocking it. But it seems my destination lies elsewhere…"
Mr. Whitlock had always been good with speeches. He had a way of not just addressing our logic but also appealing to our hearts whenever he spoke. I couldn't help but admire his character. But his time to retire had come.
"Mark my words, tough times lie on the horizon, but I trust that you shall live to see the fruits of all your efforts. Never forget our core values: excellence unites us, power defines us. It was a pleasure serving you all. Thank you," he finished.
The hall was immediately filled with cheers and jubilant shouts. I joined in celebrating the old man, although I had only known him… or rather worked at E.A for two months now.
After serving E.A for seven years, he was now stepping down. Some agents were even on the verge of bursting into tears. A testament to his great leadership.
'Fare well, Mr Whitlock.'
E.A would surely miss him.
'Though I don't understand what he means by tough times lie ahead.'
"Kindly put your hands together to welcome the incoming president, Mr Corbyn Kokuren."
A name I had never heard of. Neither had the agents around me.
He walked like the stereotypical tyrant… slow, sure walk, footsteps echoing across the hall, a face that wasn't too fond of smiling, and a pair of thin-framed rectangular spectacles.
'The contrast between the two leaders is unsettling.'
After tapping the mic twice and clearing his throat…
"As Mandy Hale stated, change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong. E.A is destined for greatness, far beyond what you could imagine. But this greatness cannot be achieved by sitting around and watching events unfold. It requires an unbreakable will, which is exactly what I bring to the table. All I need from every agent in this hall is your absolute cooperation. Expect change, embrace change. Thank you."
Every single agent could feel it. The hush that befell the hall confirmed this.
"Is this guy serious?"
So did the nervous looks the agents were giving each other.
"Absolute cooperation? What's that supposed to mean?"
The speech itself was off, but that wasn't what bothered us. No, it also wasn't the distant darkness in his eyes.
"I don't like him," the girl standing next to me told her friend.
Nor was it the prophesy encoded in Mr Whitlock's speech.
'Maybe I'm just overthinking it.'
No, it was the tone… the hint of tyranny that hung around every time his voice echoed across the hall. It created fear in the agents. Fear that the freedom they enjoy working in E.A would be taken away.
'Yep, we're doomed.'
Things were taking a sharp turn in E.A.
As we were walking out of the hall, only one thought occupied my mind.
'Change is painful, and tough times lie ahead. My life just became a drama show… Great.'
…
Here at E.A, agents have free rein over the missions they take. Missions are either solo or group. Group missions require agents to form small groups to take them.
Friends may decide to form permanent groups to take missions together, though rewards are divided equally among them.
Well, this was the case until that day. The day everything changed completely.
Ting!
[All agents are required to collect their smart cards from the reception desk by the end of the week. These cards are extremely crucial, hence agents are expected to collect them as soon as possible. If you are unable to pick up your card by the end of the week, reply to this message immediately.]
I received the email along with many other agents the day after Mr Kokuren became president.
'He sure executes his plans quickly.'
"Name?" the receptionist asked.
"Caspian Flynn."
"Okay, Caspian. Place the thumb of your right hand on the scanner."
I did so.
"Now your left thumb."
Soon enough, the sleek new device on the desk produced a green smart card. It had my image and details engraved in its shiny, premium-looking face.
'These sure seem expensive.'
"Kindly have that card with you at all times. It will be required to access anything and everything E.A has to offer."
"Okay."
'Now, what happens to agents who don't pick their cards on time? Judging by Mr Kokuren's persona and the wording in the email, a penalty is bound to exist.'
The card proved to be a handy tool over the course of the following week. It provided a more efficient method of checking in, minimising interaction with the guard at the main gates.
I made sure to subtly make him notice my delight as I tapped my card, independent and gratuitous of his help.
That aside, the card was also light, portable, and could function like an ATM card as well as a key card to unlock doors. Though for now, these functions were locked for some reason. There was only one major issue that affected many agents, an issue that had nothing to do with the cards themselves, but the agents.
Specifically, agents who didn't pick their cards on time. Except this time, it wasn't just any other agent.
"What the hell do you mean? I completed the mission on time and even sent the proof of completion, right?" He didn't seem to mind raising his voice in such a setting.
"Yes, but…" nor did he mind letting the receptionist finish speaking.
"Then I don't understand why I can't collect my payments."
Everyone in E.A knew who he was, despite having joined only a month before me. Heck, I found out who he was the day I joined E.A.
"Mr Elrod, you do not have a smart card in your possession, and without one, you cannot access your payments, even for previous missions."
"Then just give me one!"
"I cannot do that, sir. All unregistered cards were returned to headquarters. We do not have access to them," the receptionist replied.
"I couldn't have come to collect my card last week. I was still handling a solo mission, and my phone got destroyed during the mission. So I didn't get the email. My friend showed it to me a few days ago."
"Sir, the emails were sent at the same time to all agents who didn't have missions."
'Myself included.'
"For agents who had missions," she continued. "It was sent immediately after they
uploaded their proof of completion, which you did. The association had already ensured no agent had a mission whose deadline was before the end of the week. This way, all agents would surely see the email," she said, now losing her patience.
All missions have a deadline by which you must complete the mission. Failure to beat the deadline results in losing most, if not all, payments gained during the mission, and the mission is assigned to a different agent. This goes without saying, but a mission is only complete once proof of completion is submitted.
'Only agents who didn't complete their missions would have failed to see the email. He is trapped.'
I don't think they realised, but they had attracted a lot of attention, mostly from other agents who were also confused about all this card drama.
"I couldn't have come to collect my card because I got caught up…"
"You should have replied to the email," snapped the receptionist. "You have no valid reason for failing to collect your card on time. All agents who do not have cards will have to wait at least a month to get on. You are therefore suspended from your duties at E.A until then. Kindly vacate the premises, Mr Elrod."
'Due to biometric calibration protocols, agents had to collect the cards themselves from the reception desk. That makes sense. But suspending agents for such a petty reason?'
"What!" Jason's clenched fist banged against the desk.
"Let it slide, Jason. You're creating a scene," his friend told him, holding his shoulder.
"Let go of me. I'm not getting suspended based on such a stupid argument. Who the hell…"
The main doors suddenly burst open. A young lady, accompanied by several guards, walks in.
'Vice president, Miss Airi Sakura.'
The atmosphere immediately shifted, as a timely silence ensued. After scanning the room through her pink-framed glasses for a while…
"You must be Jason Elrod," she said, walking towards the reception desk. All the while, I stood a distance away watching.
"I'm told your father is having a hard time raising a child like you."
By then, agents were already busying themselves to avoid getting caught up in that mess. Jason stayed silent. He couldn't have been wiser in doing so.
"I'm sure she's made it clear that agents without cards are suspended. To sustain you, you shall receive an allowance from the savings account you created when you joined E.A. This applies to all suspended agents. If you have nothing else to add, kindly allow one of my guards here to escort you out."
Her words were final. Jason complied.
Heaving a sigh, she signalled at her guards and left.
"I don't think Jason is in the wrong." I heard an agent whisper to her friend." I mean, why would collecting such a crucial item depend on reading some email on time? It all doesn't make sense."
'I don't think the cards are the focus. Sure, agents are expected to be punctual and all, but I'm sure Mr Kokuren also wanted to drive a point through this exercise. To convey a message on how things will be operating from now on. And based on the reactions, the message has been received, though not pleasantly.'
Just then, I received a notification, or rather an email from the association.
Ting!
[E.A is establishing a special task force which will handle classified missions, and you have been selected to be part of it. The task force will consist of several squads specialised to perform different roles. You will receive details concerning your squad shortly.]
'A taskforce, and without prior notice…"
Ting!
[Name: Caspian Flynn
Squad: Zayin
Squad members: Garnet, Alicia, Flora, and Lucas
Squad overseer: Miss Everly]
'I'm not entirely opposed to Mr Kokuren's way of doing things. In fact, I kinda see where all this is going.'